Hang Tab for Containers

The present invention relates to a hang tab for securing to a container, such as a bag, which serves both as a fixture for hanging the container and for resealing the container after the container has been opened. In particular, the invention relates to a hang tab adhesively secured to one side of a bag which can be folded over and secured to a side panel of the bag to resecure the bag after a first opening.

Flaps having adhesive disposed thereon for securing an open top of a bag in a folded-over condition for closure are known. Also, hang tabs adhesively attached to a bag panel for hanging the bag for display are known.

Hang tabs can be used for hanging packages. Alternatively, the package themselves can have an aperture therethrough for hanging the package on a display spindle in a store. However, the package may need to be reinforced at the aperture which can be wasteful of materials.

It is not known to provide an adhesively attached hang tab to a bag which provides an aperture for hanging the bag on a display rod and also provides on the hang tab an adhesive surface for re-closing the bag once opened for first usage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hang tab which serves two functions, that is, to provide an easily attachable means to suspend a bag from a display rod and also to provide on the hang tab a means for re-closing the bag after first usage.

The hang tab provides on one surface along its length an adhesive layer. The hang tab can then be adhesively secured at a first region to a top portion of the bag and can extend above the bag in a second region where an adhesive portion is covered by a release layer. Through this second region an aperture is formed for suspending the bag from a display rod. The lower region of the adhesive can also be covered by a release layer which can be removed to attach the hang tab to the bag prior to hanging the bag on the display rod.

A gap can be provided between the adhesive of the first region and the adhesive portion of the second region to allow the tab to extend upward an incremental distance from the top of the bag without adhesive. This gap prevents wasting adhesive along the complete length of the hang tab, and prevents exposed adhesive which can become attached to undesired objects such as debris or other bags.

Once opened, the bag can be resecured in a closed state by folding the top of the bag downward, removing the release layer and pressing the uncovered adhesive layer to a panel of the bag either on a front side thereof or wrapped around to be pressed to a back side thereof.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a back side of a bag attached to the hang tab of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the hang tab of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally through line IV--IV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bag of FIG. 1 in reclosed condition.

FIG. 1 shows a container such as a bag 10 having a compartment 12 on a lower end thereof and a sealing region 14 on an upper end thereof. Although the container is illustrated as a bag, other containers such as boxes, envelopes, pouches, etc. are encompassed by the present invention. The compartment provides a front panel 12a and rear panel 12b. A line 16 divides the sealing region 14 and the compartment 12 and can be a line of perforations or a tear line for opening the bag. A hang tab 20 is provided adhesively attached to the rear panel 12b of the bag 10. The hang tab 20 could alternately be connected to the bag 10 by other means or formed with the bag. The hang tab 20 provides an aperture 22 through a top end thereof. The hang tab 20 can be adhesively secured to either the rear panel 12b or the sealing region 14 or both areas.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the hang tab 20 has an adhesive layer 24 applied on a body panel 26 of the hang tab 20 arranged between the bag 10 and the hang tab 20 for adhesively securing the hang tab 20 to the bag. The adhesive layer 24 can comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive material. The adhesive layer 24 is shown to be discontinuous, limited below to the compartment 12. However, the adhesive layer 24 could be continuous along the length of the body 20.

FIG. 3 shows the hang tab 20 isolated from the bag 10 of FIG. 1. A release layer 28, such as a paper or plastic covering, covers an upper adhesive region 30 of the adhesive layer 24. A second release layer 32 covers a lower adhesive region 34 of the adhesive layer 24.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a gap 38 can be provided between the upper adhesive region 30 and the lower adhesive region 34. This gap 38 is provided to separate the lower adhesive region 34 from the upper adhesive region 30 so that the lower adhesive region 34 can be glued to the bag 10 and the gap portion 38 can extend above the bag, spacing the upper adhesive region 30 above the bag without wasting adhesive or exposing any adhesive unnecessarily.

The tab as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can be quickly secured to a bag by removing the release layer 32 and fastening the adhesive layer of the lower region 34 to the bag. The upper region 30 which provides the aperture 22 extends above the bag 10 and the tab 20 can therefore be threaded onto a display rod such as in a store.

The resecuring of the bag 10 after opening is demonstrated in FIG. 5. When the bag is opened such as along the line 16, articles can be removed from the bag from an opened mouth 50 with the hang tab 20 remaining attached to the bag. When the bag is to be resecured, the bag is folded-over and the release layer 28 is removed and the upper adhesive layer 30 is pressed to either the front panel 12a or wrapped around and secured to the rear panel 12b of the bag 10.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.